Turn-key versus Flexibility
[Marc's Voice] -> Turn-key versus Flexibility -> Marc and Noah comment about Dave of Scripting News comments about Audblog. I've added my own comments on the bottom.
Scripting News -> Audblog sounds like something I've been waiting for. Uh oh. The sign up page says you have to have a weblog with one of the supported tools, but the popup menu only has Blogger in it. Ooops. Uhhh. Bummer. Guess I'll have to keep waiting.
It isn't exactly what I've been waiting for. I think they're doing too much, I don't want them posting to my weblog, I want them to send me a URL of the MP3 they create via email, and I'll link to it from my weblog. If someone with a weblog can't manage that, it ain't much of a weblog. [Scripting News]
Marc's Voice -> This is a clear juncture and difference of opinion as to how things should be done. Dave sees no problem in having humans grok the inner workings of software, and to intercept an audblog feed and route it to whatever blogging tool they use.
Evan and Noah and a bunch of other people see that sort of "grokking" as being an inhibiting factor in the spread of blogging and personal publishing. I agree. Though flexibility and 'scripting' capabilities are key, having a hosted system that works in a turn-key fashion is more important.
Now the trick is to get the power of flexibility into the hands of the hoi polloi. The average everyman. Humans, not scriptors.
You are totally right marc. We just want to make tools that are so easy to use that it’s like not using a tool. I mean hey, it isn’t about tools at all…its about communication and growing ideas. It’s about getting better. IMHO.-Marc’s Voice is not about a tool…it’s about Marc’s rockin’ roll ideas…it’s about Marc’s voice…unfettered and as wild as he wants to be. Let’s make transparent tools. Total transparency is my goal.
[Marc's Voice]
I guess my opinion falls somewhere in between:
- Email URL of the MP3 - bad idea
- URL of the MP3 - good idea
- Post my audio directly to my weblog - bad idea
- Total transparency - right on
- Having humans grok the inner workings of weblog software - bad idea
- Get the power of flexibility into the hands of the hoi polloi - amen
Let's look at the first three points more carefully:
1) Sending thw URL through email is inefficient. Adds an unnecessary, confussing, time consuming, mind taxing, flow stopping step (did I make my point clear). Not going to work. Directly to the blogging tool is the only way to go.
2) The MP3 must have a URL to directly access it. You could also add another URL (notice how I say another one, not in place of) for the streaming version. Let the user decide how they want to use the MP3 file. Don't bury the MP3 file behind some server based propietary server/client player either.
3) When I record my voice it takes me a couple of times to get it right. The same thing happens when I put a message on my voice mail. The voice record process must allow for some basic editing before posting. Simple is good here. At minimum I want to hear what I recorded, delete if necessary, and start over to get it right before it goes live on my weblog.
These and the rest of the points came be summed up with the old saying "Keep it simple stupid".
[HG]
7:02:26 AM 
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